Electric heating apparatus



H. GEISENHNER. ELECTRIC HEATING AEPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21.1920.

1,394,891. Patented 061;. 25, 1921.

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HENRY GE'TsENnNER, or scHnNEcrADY, 'NEW YORK, marc COMPANY, ACORPORATION or AssIGNOB. :no GENERAL ELEC- NEW Yonx.

ELECTRIC HEATING APPARATUS.

Specification o1' Letters Patent.

l Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

Application med :une 21, 1920. smal Nb. 39am.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY GEISENHNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricHeating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric heating apparatus and particularly todevices arranged to heat a plurality of articles by passing currenttherethrough in series.

The object of my invention is toprovide a device which shall be simpleand ,rugged in construction, and which shall enable a high rate ofoutput to be maintained without danger of burning the articles to beheated.

In my prior VPatent No. 1,323,751, dated December 2, 1919, I havedescribed and claimed a method and apparatus for heating rivets and thelike in series in a manner that insures a uniform product to be securedwithout skill on the part ofthe operator. According to the presentinvention the capacity of the machine is increased while maintaining theadvantages of series heatily invention will be better understood fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and its scope will be pointed out in the ap ended claims.

1 eferring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective viewof my heating device with circuit connections to a source of currentdiagrammatically indicated; Fig. 2 is a detail view showing theelectrode construction and this figure shows a rivet to be heatedinserted between the stationary and movable electrodes; Fig. 3represents a modified form of electrode construction; Fig. 4 representsthe use of the apparatus as a soldering iron heater, and Fig. 5represents the preferred electrode construction where the device is tobe used for heating soldering irons and the like.

Referring to Fig. 1, electrodes 1, 2, 3 and 4 are mounted respectivelyon pivoted 'arms 5, 6, 7 and 8. Any convenient arrangement may beprovided for independently moving the electrodes 1, 2, 3 and 4. Thismeans is represented as a foot lever 9 connected to each electrodethrough an operating rod 10 having an insulating joint 11 therein. The

movable electrodes 1 and 2 are represented as coperating with astationar electrode or conducting member 12, and t e movable V14 issecured to the frame of the apparatus with curved contact faces which isrepresented as an angle iron structure comprising front legs 16 and 17,.rear legs 18 and 19, and suitable bracing members. The bars 5, 6, 7and 8 are mounted on the cross piece 20, suitable insulation 21 beingprovided to insulate each bar, from the frame work. The plate 14 isadjustably secured upon the frame work by means of a wing nut 22 and abolt arranged in a slot 23 provided in each end of the member 14. Holes24 are provided in the plate 14 to permit a ready circulation of air toassist in keeping the electrodes cool. Each of the electrodesisindicated as -provided with a corrugated surface to assist in `keepingthe same cool. An article to be heated, represented as a rivet 25, isshowninterposed between movable electrode 2 and stationary electrode 12,and rivets 25 are also .represented as interposed between movableelectrodes 3 and 4 and the stationary electrode 13. The movableelectrodes are provided of various lengths to be interposed between themand the stationary electrodes.

Current is supplied to the electrodes by means indicated as atransformer whose secondary winding 26 is connected to the bars 5 and 8.The current flows in series through the electrode and interposedarticles to be heated, the circuit being traced from one terminal of thesecondary winding 26 to the electrode 1; through the conducting memberl2 to the electrode 2; through the flexible connection 27 to theelectrode 3, and through the conducting member 13 to the electrode 4,which is connected to the other terminal of winding 26. The heatingcurrent may be adjusted by varying the number of turns of the primarywinding 28A of the transformer.

In order to maintain the circuit completed whenever one of the articles25 to be heated is removed, the apparatus is constructed and arranged sothat the lowering of the movable to enable articlesl electrode willcomplete thecircuit. According to the preferred embodiment of my1nvention this is accomplished by providing to construct the electrodesas shown 1n projections 29 on each of the conducting members, orelectrodes 12 and 13, to engage the corresponding movable electrode whenit is lowered. In Fig. 1 no rivet 1s 1nd1- cated between the electrodes1 and 1 2, and electrode 1 isA consequently shown 1n the loweredposition with the circuit completed between the electrodes l and 12through -the projection 29 which may be integral with electrode 12. InFig. 2 a rivet 25 1s shown interposed between electrodes l'and 12, thecircuit through projection 29 belng broken at this time. Thisconstruction enables the apparatus to be used to heat one or any numberof rivetsless than the total number of pairs of colnlerating contactsurfaces on the electrodes. he auxiliary contact 29 in practicaloperation very quickly becomes covered with scale so that a substantialcontact resistance is furnished at this point which prevents burning ofanylrivets which may be left in circuit.

Fig. 3 shows a modified arrangement in which the projection 29 is boltedto the electrode 12 instead of being made integral therewith, as showninFig. 2. I may in some Ainstances make theprojection 29 of iron orother material of substantially higher resistance than the copperelectrodes 1 and 12, although this refinement in construction willgenerally be unnecessary.

Fig. 4 represents the use of my heating apparatus as a soldering ironheater. The solderin iron 30 is interposed between the copper ectrodes 1and 12 just as the rivet 25 isinterposed in Fig. 2. The contactresistance between the copper soldering iron and the copper electrodesis so low that considerable sparking will take place when the circuit isinterrupted, although the sparking is harmless. I have found that thisarrangement will satisfactorily heat a solder-A ing iron in aboutone-fifth of the time necessary with a gas furnace.

In order to reduce the sparking I prefer 5 when the device is to be usedprinci ally as a soldering iron heater.. In this gure the soldering iron30 is interposed between carbon blocks 31 and 32 which are' clamped inthe electrodes 1 and 12 by means of screws 33 and 34. In order to heat asoldering iron with the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 in the same lengthof time that is required with the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 thevoltage ofthe. primary circuit must be raised to about twice the valueneciessary with the arrangement shown in Fig( 4.

hile,I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of myinvention Fig.

it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that'many modificationsand variations are possible, and I therefore aim .in the appended claimsto cover all such variations and modlfcations as fall within the spiritof miv invention.

W at' I claim as new and desire to secure4 'by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. An electric heating apparatus of the 'class descrlbed comprising aplurality of independently movable conducting bars, electrodes mountedon said bars and conductlng means between which and the movableelectrodes the articles to be heated are adapted to be interposed, saidconducting means being arranged to complete a series circuit throughsaid electrodes and articles to be heated, and means whereby saidelectrodes and conducting means coperate to complete the hircuitwhenever an interposed article is removed.

2. An electric heating apparatus of the class'd'escribed comprising aplurality of electrodes provided with a -nlurality of pairs of contactsurfaces, said electrodes being arranged to be connected in circuit witha source of current, and arranged to complete a series circuit from suchsource through said electrodes and articles to be heated interposedbetween'said contact surfaces, and means arranged to complete thecircuit through said electrodes when an interposed article is removedfrom between a pair of said contact surfaces.

3. An electric heating device of the class described comprising aluralit of electrodes between which t e artlcles to be heated areadapted to be interposed, means for supplying a current in seriesthrough said electrodes and interposed articles and means arranged tocomplete the circuit whenever an interposed article is removed.

4. An electric heating apparatus of the class described comprising alurality of independently movable electrodes, and a conducting memberbetween which andthe movable electrodes the articles to lbe heated areadapted to be interposed whereb a current ma flow in series through saielectrodes an the articles to be heated, characterized by the fact thatthe electrodes are constructv weasel other electrodes of said pair whensaid electrodes are not held apart by an interposed article to beheated.

6. An electric heating device of the class described comprising aplurality of pivoted. arms, means whereby said arms may be independentlyraised and lowered, an electrode mounted on each of said arms,conducting means arranged in coperative relationship to said movableelectrodes, said electrodes and conducting means being provided withcontact surfaces between which articles to be heated are adapted to beinterposed and means on said conducting means adjacent each movableelectrode arranged to engage the same and complete a circuit ofappreciable resistance between said electrodes and conductin means whensaid electrode is moved to its lowest position.

An electric heating device of the class described comprising a pluralityof movable arms, means whereby said arms may be independently moved, anelectrode mounted on each oi said arms, conducting means. ar ranged incoperative relationship to Said movable electrodes, said electrodes andconducting means being provided with contact surfaces between whicharticles to be heated are adapted to be interposed, circuit connectionswhereby current may be passed in se ries through said electrodes,conducting means and interposed articles to be heated, and contactmembers on said conducting means arranged adjacent a plurality of saidelectrodes to engage the same to maintain the circuit completed when thearticles to be heated are removed from between the corresponding contactsurfaces..

8. An electric heating device of the class described comprising aplurality of pairs of pivoted arms arranged side b side, means wherebysaid arms may be lndependently operated to raise and lower the same, anelectrode mounted on each of said arms, a stationary electrode arrangedbelow and in coperative relationship to each pair of said movableelectrodes whereby an article to be heated may be interposed betweeneach of said movable electrodes and the coperating stationary electrode,means whereby the outside electrodes may be connected to a source ofcurrent and means for electricall connecting the adjacent electrodes ofa jacent pairs, whereby current may be passed in series through saidmovable electrodes, stationary electrodes, electrical connecting meansand interposed articles to be heated, and contact devices arranged onsaid stationary electrodes to engage said movable electrodes when inlowered position to maintain the circuit completed whenever any of saidinterposed articles are removed.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand l this 18th day ci June, 1920.

HENRY GEISENHNER.

